Bearing key



Patented Aug. 5, 1930 wALfrEiz. F. KAsrER," or ratei/renin; inNNEsQgirJ'JA;L Assiduo-R fro' rammoivrfgnnirpway BEARINGKEY f replication filled April 4,V

This invention relates torimprovements in bearing ykeys and..morezparticularly to'` an improved means for locking` a bearing key so that. it. may be quickly andv easily. released to` permitseparation of the .two members keyedy together. Y A An obj ectof the invention isvto provide an improved bearing key-member so. constructedv 1,

and shaped that it mayreadily and quickly bel Y released from locking., position without.

A further` object of ,.theinvention .is to pro-` vide` such a 'key-member havingthewedging action ofa taper key'and also havingthe adf vantage of being"` easily. removed vfrom its seat 'similarY to the well-known type of VoodrufI ke v.

a circular seat. andhaving means fory .rocking it in its seat tosecurelyjlock two members together.A v 'i Other objects ofthe invention will appear from the following ldescription andthe accompanying drawingsr and will be pointed out in the annexed claims.

In ythe accompanying drawings forming part of this specication there has been disclosed a structure vdesigned to carry out the various objects of the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention is notconvfined to the exact features shown as various changes may be made within the scope of the claims which follow. j

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a sectional view showing a hub mounted upon a shaft and keyed thereto .by the improved key-member; Y

Figure 2 is a detail rsectional view'on vthe line 2 2 of Figure l; Y

Figure 3 is a perspective view ofthe key memberremoved from its seat.

In the selected embodiment of the invention here shown, for purposes of disclosure,

A'further object is fto provide an arcuately formed key member adapted-tolbe seated in thereifs-ii'lclustrated :a shaft a hub mounted thereon'. This li'ubffmaybe. of any. i ordinary` 'de'vicefsuch' as Qa* 'pulleyyfgean ...ori

similar' contrivance, which is y: tdapted tocbe.V

mounted upon; a shaft.

sides inthe novel'means provided forvflocki'ng'f the hubor; memberf 'to .the shaft ,4; Such means preferably 'consistsf inthe provision 0-f formed -face 7 adapted to b'e vseatednin': ga-

` correspondingly shaped key-seat Sprov-ided .f

in theshaftln' The general outline ofthe lkey-member 6 is similarto th-at,.ofgthe we ll-V known ytype of `1Woodruff key. A 'keyWa/y 9@ is provided in thehub -5 adaptedtdreceive .the projecting portionrof the keymemberf .y inla manner similar to that employed-whe usinglstandardtypes of keys.`- v

Asshow'n in Figure 3, the key-member 6 preferably has afflat face-11centrally-:providedon'the upper edge thereof and whichr face is interposed 'between the inclined faces 12 extending therefrom tothe ends of the: l key-asfshown.,v The upper edgeofg the key-` v :member Gis .preferably vcut "away as shown'by theninclinedlfaces 1:2toprovide clealmce'ibe n tween Athe Tende of fthe,` lkey-men iberg,and Ithebottom of? the i keyway 9' in/ordergthat Aone of the june-tures; for ridgesv 13 betweenf-ilhfaces ed ina threaded-socketl in the -hub adapted-tofhavelits; lower end:Y 16y -movedlkinto fl' engagement vw-itfh-,one y.of the. .upper .vlincl-ined *l y Figure 1. :When-they setscrew @111k is: down@` war'dly5 rotated in .the socket 15against thev key-member 6, the latter will berotated inthe keyseat 8 thereby causing onejofthe ridges j keyseat 8in-the shaftgand the bottom fof-,the *Y keyway'k 92 with the resultant locking .together preferablrmeuated apen .the v.Si-@tssrer 5121 y Y after which the hub member may readily be removed from the shaft 4.

By the employment therefore of this novel locking device, or key-member in conjunction with itwo members adapted to be locked together, it will readily be seen and understood that by means of thev setscrew 14, two such members maybe securely locked together as the action impartedv to the key-inember byf the pressure of the'screw 14 thereagainst, will be similar to the wedging action of a tapered key. Also as a result of the key-member being similar in outline to an ordinary Woodruff key, it will readily release its grip'or locking engagement with the bottom of the keyway 9 when the setscrew 14 is rotated to release the pressure thereagainst. Thus it will readily be seen that when the setscrew 14 is moved out of engagement with the key-member 6, the two members may readily be separated from each other. U

The amount of pressure lrequired against the key-member 6 to'firmly lock two members together, may be determined by the length of the flat face 11 upon the upper edge thereof. This may be readily understood by referring to Figure 1 wherein it will be noted that the ridge 13 at the right hand side ofthe keymemberV 6 is in contact with the bottom of the keyway 9 and is firmly forced thereagain'st by 'downward' 'pressure of the screw 14v against the key-member. Should the upper edge of the key-member notbe cut away, as indicated by the inclined faces 12,'then the key-member in the keyseat 8 as both ends of the kev will be symmetrical.

Instead of forming the upper edge of the key with the faces 1 and 12, and the ridges 13, this Vedge may be arcuately formed or curved so as to be coincident with the arc of a circle. IVher. .thus formed and pressure is brought Kto bear upon the end of the key bythe set screw, a portion of the upper curved edge 1 against the curved bottom, and havingits 0pposite side .also convex, a member on-saidI shaft having a straight key seat engaged by the key, said key being of less width than the greatest combined depthsrof the seats to permit rocking ofthe key, and a'jamb screw iI1= the member engaging. with one end of the'key:` Yand forcibly securing the hub in position on the shaft.

2. A shaft and a hub mounted thereon, theV shaft and hub having keywayswhich arey inyregister, one of the key ways having a curved bottom, a` key having a convex side slidable against said curved bottom, said key being of a depth less than the combined depth ofthe seats to permit rocking of the key, and a ]ainb screw carried by the hub and engaging the key atone side of its longitudinal middle,

whereby the keypcan be forcibly rocked by l said screw tosecure the hub against rotative and axial movement.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my day of March, 1925.

hand this :30th WALTER F. KASPER. Y

outer corner 18 of the key-member would engage the `bottomV ofthe keyway 9 which would decrease the leverage action ofthe keymemrcloser to the setscrew, thereby greatly increasing the leverage with a resultant decrease in the amount of pressure required against the key-member by the setscrew to firmly wedge it between the shaft and hub member 5. Also by cutting away both ends of the key-member as indicated by the inclined faces 12,V no particular care need be exercised in mounting the 

